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3. MBUSD has an enrollment of approximately 6,000 to 7,000 students.
According to SEHO’s records, MBUSD’s complaint and due process
filings with SEHO are higher than Long Beach Unified School District [LBUSD],
which has an enrollment of approximately 84,000 students. It should be
noted that LBUSD is one of four districts listed in the current federal
Office of Special Education [OSEP] Monitoring Report for California, as
indicative of the state of California’s systemic non-compliance with
IDEA.
4. Over the past few months, we have attempted to obtain exact figures
from the district with regard to its legal fees related to special
education. Although our efforts have been unsuccessful, we have been
able to determine the following from public documents: For the school
year 1997-1998, MBUSD was ordered to pay over $112,000 for legal fees
for families who prevailed in hearing. For the school year 1998-1999,
MBUSD paid nearly $70,000 for similar fees. In addition, the district
incurred nearly $308,000 for NPS/NPA costs. Although we are still
attempting to obtain confirming documentation, it would appear that the
fees the district incurred on its own behalf are well over $400,000.
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